Fluid lift



March 19, 1946. s. c. BRADY FLUID LIFT .filed sept. 1.2, 1944 PatentedMar. 19, 1946 Sanford C. Brady, deceased, `"la'te 'of"Bartl'esville,Okla., `by Nelson G. Brady, administrator,

Bart1esville,10kla.

.Applieationfseptmber12,1944,seria1Naissance. Y

6 Claims. (Cl. 1103-234) This invention 'relates' tota :uid ylift L`andv.it is an object of the inventionV t'o provide .a-'device :of .thisVkind which isiautomatic in its .operation and which @provides aneiiieient l and Aeconomical means .of lifting .-iiuid from `-oil and-gaswells and ther'shafts lFurthermore,it iis Yanobjectief theinvention toprovideza4 -device :of this Y'kind l.which can be :operatcdloneitherfhigh or ilow pressure.

The #invention @consists .=in the details iof `construction Yand in the`combination rand arrangement of :the :several partsfof the im'provedfluid kliftfwhereby certain:important-` advantages are rat- .tained,-as-will :be fhereinaf ter `more `fully Pset forth.

In order fthatv th'e :invention may be `better understood, .thesam'e isrnow described with 'refe erence `to A-the accompanying lldrawing,wherein:

Figure 1 is a viewgp'artly ine'levationandpartly in .section.illustrating ia 4fluid lift -constructed in accordance with an`:embodiment 'of the invention;

:Figure 2 :isan enlarged:sectional -View ltakenvsubstantiallyion'ftheline 2-.2 of Figure 1; :and

Figure .3 fis :an *enlargedy detailed sectional View :takensubstantially ion .the vline "3l-*"3 of .Figure '1. .IHS 'disclosed inthe accompanying ldrawing,

I denotes an elongated barrel of desired dimensions 'and which has itsilower=endfciosed by a plug head 2 ,r saidfh'ead-'2 having a:reducedportion 3 which threadswithin 'the fba'rrel lI. vThis .plug head:2' has dispose'd axially therethrough an inflet port i l'4, 'the inneror .upper extremity 'l ofwhich is enlarged to provide a seat 5 for theball valve-6.

AThe flower :or Youter portion of the opening or port '4 iis enlarged,as:- a`t 1, :and threading 'within fsaid enlarged portion -1 liseaniextremity 'of' a 'lfluid iinlet :member :8 ipro'vided -inV its-Vwall .at spaced pointsitherearound and therealong with the :'iluidinlet ports 9.

Threading within or otherwise effectively 'ienagag-edwiththelupperzen'd-.portion-of the barrel I lisia. second plug fhe'adVIllrhaving al relatively :large `'central opening 1IVI the I outer'portion of which is enlarged,` as iat wI:-2,1to'.r'eceive .the packingI4 4with which ycoact's .Tin "a well .known manner a lgland. :ring:Iffor expandingthapacking I4.

In :the present 'embodiment lof the invention, `the "packing ,ring II5yis forced inwardly Vagainst thefpacking `HI by a cap vnut I6threading-upon the--outer portion ofthe plug head I0 andhaving a centralopening I1 through which freely Vpasses the lower .portionsof `a fluidoutlet rpipe I8 Arif-:desireddimensions.

'I'his lower :extremity `of the :pipe `Iii .extends withinithe.upperportionof the barrel I Vthrough theopening I I .in .the Yplug head.I0 andthe portion of the pipe .IB-within Athe enlargement I2 of .theopening LI .is-tightly .surrounded .by .the packingI4,zwherebyailuid-tight joint is assured yet lallowing .for `relativemovement vbetween 4the barrel I and thefpipe I8 isa direction lengthwiseof the pipe I8-,

In the present embodiment of `the invention, the barrel I comprises twosections-.x and -fy-hav ing their opposedor-innerven'ds spaced apart .adesi-red distance `and -`with said Aopposed ends nor" ,theisections' fcandy lconnected Yby acoupling plug I9 rthreading within the opposed endportionsof .the :sections and y, as is -clearly illustrated :in Figure.3 of vthe c drawing.

The lower section-yor Ithe -barrel `I in=itsup per portion .is-intersectedby a plate 20. This vplate .-20 lis spaced from but invrelatively `close proximity to the adjacent end of the V.coupling -plugrwandais-.heldin place bythe suitablyposi- .tioned'fbinding screws 22Ior y.otherwise as `may ybe preferred. This ,plate..20wis providedtherethrough with a suitably positioned port 22 taffording'communicationwith thesection y of the 'barrel =I at opposite sidesof the plate A2l).

vThreading through the plate 20 at its axial center is a shank 23 whichconstitutes v.an ad `justable stop :for 'the valve 24. :This valve 24ccoacts with the Avalveseat 25 surrounding the lowerend portion of aport 26'disposed axially through ythe couplingplug I9.

.The valve 24 is carriedby a stem 2l which'i's .ofiafmajor diametermaterially smaller than/that ofthe port 26-and`which is of alength'to'extend a material distance-upwardly beyond :the couplingV`plug I9 and Within .the Aupper sectionx of the barrel .I. The stem 27,however, tightly but slidably f-passes through va, nipple sleeve 28`which threads from above within the upper portionof vthe port 26 vandwhich is `provided at the axial fcenter .of thelower head 29 for `thebellows 30.

The coupling lplug I9 has radially 4disposed vtlfieretlfirough fa port3| leading-.from a vpoint vbe tween 'the opposed `ends -of 'the`sections 'and 'y vof the v'barrel `I and in communication with thelcentral portion'of the port 2E.

The Ktop head v32 ,for the Abellows 30 has its central portion .suitablyfixed, as at 33, to the adjacent upper end portion-of the stem 21.. In-`terposed between the head 32 of the bellows and the inner `or insertedface of the plug .-,head I0 .is'an -expansible --member 34 .of requisitetension xandhereindisclosed as a coil spring.

Threading :upon .the lower kend Vportionof .the pipe I8 lwithin thesection-:v of the barrel I -is an adjustable stop iiange'35. This ange35 determines the extent of relative movement in one direction betweenthe barrel I and the pipe I8.

The upper end portion of the pipe I8 extends up through an opening 36 inthe central bottom portion of the aspirator housing 31. The bottom 38 ofthe housing 31 is disposed on a downward and inward taper to the centralopening 36 to p-rovide an upwardly facing internal Valve seat 39.

Coacting with this valve seat 39 is an annular beveled face 48 carriedby the lower portion of a cup head 4| threaded or otherwise mounted uponthe adjacent upper end portion of the pipe I8 and' with which said pipeI8 communicates from below. 'Ihe wall of this head 4I is providedtherearound with the perforations 42.

The housing 31 has its normally open upper or top face closed by a caphead 43 and which cap head 43 freely receives the cup head 4I as theperiphery of said head 4I is spaced from the wall of the applied caphead 43, as'is clearly illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing.

, Extending through the central portion of the cap head 43 and inthreaded or other desired connection therewith is the lower extremity ofa second fluid outlet pipe 44 of desired length and which extendsthrough and above the head 45 which seals the upper end of the wellcasing 46.

Fixed to the pipe I8 at adesired distance above the head 45 andsurrounding the same is a disk plate 41 through which are threaded atspaced points therearound the jack screws 48 which contact with and bearupon the head 45 from above, said screws being located in their desiredadjustments in a conventionalmanner by the nuts 49 or otherwise as mayb'e preferred.

'I'he upper extremity of the outlet pipe 44 is continued by the pipeleading to a suitable point of discharge. y

In the present embodiment of the invention, the desired gas pressure isobtained within the well although, if desired, the applied pressure maybe obtained from an outside source. However, as this is of no particularimportance insofar as the invention herein embodied is concerned, adetailed showing as to any outside source of pressure is believedunnecessary When the device is installed in the well or casing 46, theface 48 isin engagement with the valve seat 39 under the influence ofthe weight of the pipe I8 and the parts carried thereby. When the inletmember 8 comes to rest upon the bottom .of the well and the pipe 44 isfurther lowered slightly, the face 48 will separate from` the seat 39.Also, the down movement of pipe I8 compresses spring 34 and bellows 38,causing valve 24 to unseat or open. This allows the gas from `the well,either the natural gas or introduced gas, to ilowthrough ther aspiratorA which tends to pull the liquid up through pipes I8 and 44 by way ofthe inlet port 3l. Suchiiuid movement Will, of course. be assisted 4'bythe pressure tending to force the liquid in through port 3 I. By thesemeans the fluid is permitted to flow until the iiuid in the well islowered to the port 3 I. It is desirable, when the device is permanentlyinstalled, to have the Vport 43| just above the iiuid level a to admitwell pressure during the operation of the pump and yet to allow forsuicient liquid submergence to assure maximum flow of fluid outthroughthe pipe I8 to assure the desired lifting of the fluid column to thesurface. After the uid is lowered to port 3 I the member I 8 is adjustedby adjusting the vjack Y Screws -4,8Sonthat the entire assembly isliftedoi f the bottom of the wen and the weight of the pipe I8 and the partscarried thereby will return the face 48 to the seat 39 which will alsoresult in a decrease in the tension of the spring 34 which results indecreasing pressure on the bellows 38 so that the valve 24 will closeagainst its seat 25.

Fluid then comes up by way of pipe 8, past valve 6 and through ports 22and 52, through the upper section :I: of the barrel I, and rises up inthe column through the outlet pipe I8 to a suicient height which, inconjunction with the tension of the spring 34, will compress the bellows38, causing the valve 24 to open. The opening of the valve 24 will admitthe well gas under pressure to the column through the port 3| and at thesame time cause the valve 6 to close on its seat 5, stopping the iiow offluid into the barrel and boosting the column of fluid in pipe I8. Asthe uid rises in the pipe I8 prior to the opening of the valve 24, theexternal pressure on the bellows 38 resulting from weight of the iiowingcolumn, together with the tension of the spring 34, has been placingvthe bellows 38 under compression.

As soon as the bellows 38 opens slightly, gas pressure from the well isadmitted', resulting in a still greater compression of the bellows 38,thereby opening wide the valve 24 and allowing the well gas to force thefluid column to the surface. Since the iluid column seals off thispressure until the column is discharged at the surface at substantiallyatmospheric pressure, the bellows remains under compression until theinstant of such discharge, at which time the pressure suddenly drops.With this drop in pressure, the bellows under compression instantlyexpands, closing the valve 24, and since the pressure within the barrelI is less than well pressure, the fluid under well pressure will liftthe valve 6 01T its seat 5, whereupon the0 cycle of operation will berepeated.

The aspirator A, as particularly illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing,is only used in installing the pump at proper level in a well, althoughin a very shallow well such use will not be necessary since a spray ofliquid could be carried to the top of the well by vapor coming throughthe port 3l. However, in deeper wells, this aspirator A boosts theliquid carried up from the bottom to the surface.

W'hile in the accompanying drawing only a single aspirator is shown, itis believed to be obvious that if the requirements of practice shouldYso necessitate, additional aspirators may be em'- ployed to assure thelifting of the fluid to the surface.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a iiuidlift constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly welladapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which itmay be assembled and operated.

What'is claimed is:v

l. An apparatus for lifting uid comprising a barrel divided into anupper chamber and a lower chamber, the lower chamber having an inletport in communication therewith, a valve for preventing retrograde owthrough the inlet port, said barrel having a port in communication withthe two chambers and with a pressure inlet port in communication withthe lower chamber, a valve for controlling ow through the pressure port,a bellows within the upper chamber of the barrel and operatively engagedwith the valve for controlling flow through the pressure port, meansactuated by the weight of the apparatus resting upon an underlyingsupport for adjusting pressure on the bellows, and an outlet pipe inlcom munication with and leading from the upper chamber of the barrel.

2. An apparatus for lifting uidas set forth in claim 1, wherein thebarrel is slidably mounted upon the end portion of the outlet pipe incommunication with the barrel.

3. An apparatus for lifting fluid as set forth in claim 1, wherein themeans for exerting pressure on the bellows comprises an eXpansiblespring interposed between the bellows and the upper head end of thebarrel.

4. An apparatus for lifting fluid as set forth in claim 1, wherein aplate is mounted within and intersects the lower chamber of the barreland is provided with a port, and means carried by the plate for coactionwith the Valve for controlling the flow through the pressure port tolimit the extent of opening movement of such Valve.

5. An apparatus for lifting fluid as set forth in claim 1, wherein meansare interposed in the outlet pipe above the barrel to facilitate thelifting of the fluid column through the outlet pipe.

6. An apparatus for lifting fluid as set forth in claim 1, wherein theoutlet pipe comprises two sections, a casing carried by an end portionof one of the sections and the second section eX- tending within thehead, said head and the por-

